Immigration is one of the biggest issues for voters this year, and the right is campaigning on the false claim that the incumbent, Joe Biden isn’t touching it.
President Biden has been fighting to get legislation through Congress that would fund the border patrol, speed the processing of asylum-seekers, and even shut down entry for immigrants altogether when the numbers reach certain levels. Since Donald Trump’s Congressional lackeys won’t allow it, Biden is reportedly planning to announce a different direction.
Trump, during his term, used executive orders and Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to limit immigration, and Biden is hinting that he’s looking at a similar action. If so, it could leave Trumpublicans — who have insisted that Biden should use EOs instead of pushing new legislation — sputtering.
One key difference between the two: Biden has his team investigating whether such a use would be Constitutional and what the most appropriate ways to implement it would be. Axios reported:
“We’re examining whether or not I have that power…Some are suggesting that I should just go ahead and try it,” Biden said. “And if I get shut down by the court, I get shut down by the court.”
Biden has pressed for a measured approach that would extend a hand to those who are eligible for asylum while speeding removal of — or denying entry to — those who are not.
Trump is already fuming about the potential that his 2024 opponent could take action on immigration, calling for his fans to disbelieve their eyes. He posted on his social media, saying:
“Do NOT be fooled by any phony Biden Executive Order…Crooked Joe Biden’s Illegal Invasion is a crime against the United States of America….On Day One, I will Deport Crooked Joe’s Illegals, and SHUT THE BORDER DOWN!”
Trump has relied heavily on the unsupported claim that his presidential rival has an “open border” policy and on the false conspiracy theory that Democrats are fighting to allow undocumented immigrants to vote.
If Biden can push through an effective policy — whether by legislation or by executive order — that meets America’s needs for both border security and asylum for those who are eligible, it could upend the Republican narrative ahead of the election.
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